Vaporizer.



E. B. BENHAM.

VAPORIZER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZ, 1908.

Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

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VAPORIZER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908.

1,D15,285 Patented Jan. 23, 1912..

3 SHEET$-SHIBET 8.

INVENTOR fiz aiz Benizam- WITNESSES ATTORNEY Emmi-r n. BENHAM, onnnwitoivnoni connncrionnflassienon, mrnmncrrLain) MESNE assmnnnnrs, TO HYnRooARBoN convnarnn COMPANY, or NEW Yong] N. 1., A CGRPORATION OF DELAWARE.

'vAronIznR.

- Application filed June 2, 1908. Serial No. 436,200.

111 Vaporizers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to Vaporizers or gasifiers for converting Hydrocarbon oils, and particularly heavy hydrocarbon oils, into a ,vapor or gas suitable for use in internalcombustion engines, in gas burners, etc.

A further object of my invention is to con duct the vaporization or gasification of the oil by means of waste heat-for example,

the waste heat contained in the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine.

My invention comprises means for spreading the oil over the surface of a heated porous material, preferably earthenware or the like, whereby the oil is converted into a vapor or hereinafter LS represented in the accompanying drawlngs, forminga part cate corresponding.parts.in all the views.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation representing an internal combustion engine with my food decomposing device attached thereto, showinga diagrammatic view the arrangement of'the fuel feed plpe and H air pressure tank. Fig. 2- is an enlarged sectional elevation showing my apparatus attached to anengine cylinder. Fig. 3.-

is an enlarged view of the interior end ofthe central air inlet struction whereby the passing exhaust gases serve to draw'in. a face viewof P p howing the con the outside air. Fig. 4c i which the porous disk is held. Fig. 5 is a detail of saidporous disk. Fig. 6 is acen tral sectional view of the mixing device throrigh' which? Specification 0t Letters Patent.

inside and the other ,sented' my Connecticut, have in vented certaln new and useful Improvements gas; also various other features described and particularly pointed'out inthe claims. y i

A practical embodiment in the invention.

of-this' specification, in] .which s1milar characters of reference ind through the ter thereof.

oneof the plates between H sively through the theraw material passes in flowing from thelsupply tank to the decomposing plates. Fig. 7- is'a modification showing the porous material as made in. a .tubular.form likewise. the heated surfaces onerwhich the mixtureis to pass, one fitting heated andone to a Patented Jan. 23,

tube. r In the-accompanying drawings I repreconnection the gas or vapor produced in lation pipe 2. The crank case 3 is madein] any of the usual forms and in this construc tion the mixture is admitted thereto through-' the inlet pipe 4-.

simple and etfet tive to the fuel and then.-

In order to provide a means for applying heat subjecting the same to a. straining action=I have provided a central porous plate 5 pref-"w erablymade in the form of a disk, see Figs.

2 and 5, saiddisk being made of porcelain,: clay, or any, other substance of a porous nature. A central hole '6 is formed in said disk to receive the hubs of the 'inclosing; plates. A small hole-7 is also made through said disk which forms a port through which; the gas passes-in going other of said plate. This porous plate isin closed between two disks 8 and 9, preferably. of metal,-the internal face of each diskbeing provided with circular grooves 10- which. communicatewith each other through the channels 11, see Fig. 4. The fuel enters inlet port 12 and passes through the circular channels 10' commenc ing at the outerqnearthe circumference. of said plate to the inner channel near the cen-j' From this channel it asses through the port! to the opposite plate 9 and works its way. outward passing succesconcentric channels 95in this plate, which are preferably shallower than those in the opposite late. The gas'or vapor so produced passes t rough outlet ipe 13 and pipe 4 into the engine cylinder'wliere it is used in the ordinary way. It is found, ini'order to obtain the esired efiect on the mixture, that/both. of said plates, should be outside of the porous:

vapor or gas making device in' with an nternal combustlonen I gine, the latter belng' used as a sourceofg being delivered to saidv en--i from one side torthe.

very much higher tern:

the like, in my device,

, for. this purpose is fed from 25 tank 20in 35 bearings 27 50 means for admitting air 55 overhangs the inlet holes 37.

5 preferably made in two parts and bolted'together as at l l theinner member of which is provided with a threaded-hub 15 which is adapted to be screwed'onto the exhaust pipe 16 of the cylinder 1, the heated gases in this way first come in direct contact with the inner plate 9, heating the same to a high degree, after which they pass around said plate through the circular outlet ports 17,

' see Figs. Qand 1, over the back or outer sur face of the second or outer plate 8, also heating this plate, but to a much lower degree than that of the plate 9. The exhaust then passes out through the passage 18 and pipe I 19 to the openair.

It is found in-the use of crude oil, and that the same should lie/thoroughly stirred before it is allowed to "pass between the heated plates. The fuel the supply which is preferably generated a pressure of air by a hand pump 21 or a power pump, (not shown), run from the engine, or the fuel may be fed by gravity,

. if desired. In this way the fuel is forced or fed through the mixer-23. which is supply pipe 22 to the located in the exhaust pipe 19l This mixer is preferably constructed in the form of a evlinder 24 filled with small balls 25 and held to turn freely in the in the casing 28. A series of longitudinal fins or vanes are located at intervals around the periphery of said cylinder so that the exhausting gases in pass ng will cause said cylinder to rotate rapidly.

' The inlet pipe 22 is provided with a'stop 31 so that as the fuel enters through said pipe it passes into said cylinder through the small holes 30 and after being thoroughly shaken up and mixed coming in contact with the loose balls in the rapidly rotating cylinder it passes out again throu h the small holes 32 and through the pipe 33 between the decomposing plates. above described.

In order to provide a simple and effective to the exhausting gases :1 centraltube 34 has been provided on the inner endiot' which is fixed the cap 35, see Fig. 3. which cap extends back along the walls of the tube and has a lip 36 which On the outer end oi this tube iS an inlet valve 38 held normally closed by spring 39. said valve be ing opened by the sucking action of the exhausting gases, when liberated from the cvl 60 inder. through the exhaust port 41 into the channel 42 as the piston 43 descends, to-

open the ports 40 and admit air into the tube and through ports 37 into the chamber 42 where said air is mived with the exhausting gases supplying sufficient oxygen thereto to cause a continued combustion whereby all of. the remaining particles in the gases are consumed to free the exhaust from objectionablesmoke. In order to provide a. further supply of air a series of holes 44 have been made through the exhaust neck 16 onto which the cup-shaped member 35 is threaded, an inlet air valve 46 is formed on said member which valve is also adapted to open automatically by the passing exhaust and draw in more air, if desired.

I do not restrict myself to distributingthe oil over a porous plate as any convenient or practical porous substance or material may be used "for this purpose, neither do I restrict myself to making the same in the form of a disk or plate as the same may he made in a tubular form, if desired, as illustrated in Fig. 7, or it may be made in any other convenient or practical form. In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the fuel is admitted through the pipe i7, is carried around the outside of the porous tube 51 by means of the helical groove 48 then passes from the outside to the inside of said tube through the port 49 and back through the helical grooves 52 on the inner surface'of said tube and out to the engine through the pipe 50, the exhaust from the engine entering through pipe 53 where it comes in contact with the inner plate then passes outward through the ports 54: and back through the tube 55 over the outer plate thence out to the open air through the pipe 56.

The operation of my device is more particularly described as follows: In order to heat the'plates to the desired temperature. to properly convert the fuel into gas for use in the cylinder it is found most con venient to first start the engine on gasolene, which is supplied from a tank, not shown, through the pipe 57, carbureter 58 and pipe 4 to the engine. The heat from the exhaust in passing out first comes in contact with the plate 9 and then with the plate 8 quickly beatin them up to the desiredtemperatures, atter which the valve 60 is closed shutting off the su ply of gasolene and the valve 61 is opened allowing the fuel, which has been decomposed and prepared, to enter through the supply pipe 13 when the engine will continue to run and. will develop greater power on the less expensive fuel. I do not. however, restrict myself to this method of starting the engine as any means may be employed for heating the plates in which case the engine may he started directly "from the low grade fuel mentionedf Neither do I restrict myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shownand described, nor to the various details thereof, as the same may be modified or rearranged in various particulars.

The invention is exceedingly practical in its construction and effective in its operw ation and by its use the lowest grade or cheapest of hydrocarbon fuels may be employed. and cause the engine to develop greatly increased power over the higher grades of hydrocarbon lene, or the like.

In my Patent No. 920,903, dated May 11,

fuel, such as gaso- '1909, I have claimed the general structure of the gas making apparatus herein illustrated and described, except as to the port' through the porous material, and the means for supplying air to the exhaust gases of the engine.

Having thus described my invention, what.

I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A vaporizer or gasifier for hydrocarbon oils and the like, comprising in combination a solid body of porous material having a port or passage leading from one side of it to the other, means for distributing oil over one side of said body, means for collecting gas or vapor from the other side of said body, and means for heating said porous body.

2. In a vaporizer or gasifier for hydrocarbon oils, a porous member having a port leading from one side to the other, means for subjecting the opposite sides of said member to heat of different degrees, means for passing the fuel over both faces of said member, and means for collecting the vapor produced. 7 b

3. In a vaporizer. or gasifier for .hydrocarbon oils, a porous member having a portleading from one side to the other, means for subjecting the opposite sides of said member to heat of different degrees, means for passing a thin film of fuel over bothfaces of said porousmember whereby said fuel is decomposed and the gases separated,

and'means for collecting the gas or vapor evolved. 4 Y

4. In a. vaporizer or gasifier for hydrocarbon oils, a porous member provided with a port leading from one side therepf to the other, means for heating the opposite faces of said membenfto'temperatures of different degrees by circulating gasesgtherearound, an-

inclosing plate on each side? of said member, said plates being each rovided with chansite face of said member.

5. A'vaporlzer or gasifier for hydrocarbon 011s and. the like, comprising in comblnels adapted to guide t e fuel first over one face of said member and then on the opp'o-- nations. solid body of porous material and-- .inclosing members th erefor, space being pro vided on one side of said porous body for distributing oiL thereover, space being provided on the other side of the said porous body for collecting gas or vapor, a heating chamber-inclosing said porous body and its inclosing members, and adapted for the flow through it of the exhaust gases of a gas engine, and means for introducing air to such chamber to complete the combustion of such exhaust gases.

6. A vaporizer or bon oils and the like, comprising in combi nation a solid body of porous material and through it 'of the exhaust gases of a gas:

engine,and an air conduit passing centrally through suchchamber and connected tosuch chamber near the gas-admission point theregasifier for hydrocarof, such air conduit having means at its.-

outer end for the admission of air.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature -in presence oft-we witnesses. Q

5 ELIJAH' B. BENHAM.

-Witnessesz, r

'WM.T. Curran, 4 y

W. HAMPTON an FONTAINE. 

